PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
JOURNAL
Nov / Dec 2009
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
Vol. 06
Number 06, 2009
Nov / Dec 2009, Edition
Penticton Flyfishers
Contents
Box 354, 113-437 Martin St., Penticton, B.C., V2A 5L1 Editor Bruce Turnbull Home Ph:250-493-7386 Work Ph:250-487-2000 Fax 250-487-2049 Email: bturnbul@telus.net (or) bruce.turnbull@raymondjames.ca
President Angus Cameron 250-762-4719 haggisscot@shaw.ca Vice President Phil Rogers 250-493-8832 pjrogers@shaw.ca Treasurer Ken Baker
Page 3— Presidents Report Page 4 & 5—Equipment Review—Moffitt Systems Page 6– Salmon Lake Fishout—Tom Dellamater Page 7— BTRA Nominations Page 8— ORV Update Page 9—Where to Find Ten Fly Fishing Tips Page 10 & 11—From the Archives—Lee Wulff Page 12 & 13—Salmon Lake Pictures Page 14— Bella Coola River by Tom Dellamater Page 15— Fishout Notice Board
kbbaker@telus.net
Page 16—Apache Trout
Secretary Denis Currie 496-5499
Page 17—Photo Gallery
Membership Director Tom Knight twknight@telus.net The Penticton Flyfishers are members of
Page 18— Calendar and Classifieds Page 19—Tying and Fishing Techniques
Salmon Lake Loon Sept 09—by Bruce Turnbull
BC Federation of Fly Fishers (BCFFF) BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) Federation of Fly Fishers (International FFF) Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA)
Penticton Flyfishers New Website is www.pentictonflyfishers.ca
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Presidents
PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
Report by Angus Cameron
Your's truly is going to limit the President's contribution this time round to cover what the next two months will unfold as far as comments, news (if any) and contributions of others.
yearly fishing project, I'll be heading north (to the Skenna system) for some "steelhead" fishing and I'll be trading my trout gear for steelhead gear - so that means putting the trout fishing gear on their racks and bringing the spey fishing equipment down from their storage bins. And as you may know there are a few Club members besides myself getting ready for this time of the fishing year.
The summer of 2009 is fast coming to an end and those of the fishing fraternity are thinking of what maybe next on the fishing calender. As for my next
Just to recap the previous part of the year, it has been one of the most successful and rewarding fishing seasons that I have experienced. We can
Given the time frames pertaining to this edition of the next PFF newsletter, the members are going to have to bare with all those involved in getting the next volume of the Newsletter out.
only hope that the same will be encountered during the steelhead season . In any event, for those who find the time to go north or south (Washington State steelhead fishery) ( the returning numbers are mind boggling), may you have a great season. Many thanks for the support you have extended my way for 2009. Angus(Haggis)
Your 2009 Executive
Treasurer Ken Baker
Vice Pres Phil Rogers
President Angus Cameron
Secretary Denis Currie
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
Equipment Reviewby
Moffitt Angling
Bruce Turnbull
The Moffitt Angling System is a fully patented revolutionary new fly-fishing method that uses hookless flies tied on flexible synthetic cores instead of hooks, which can be looped on and off the leader above a uniquely designed barbless circle hook. The Moffitt System offers several advantages over existing fly-fishing methods. The flexible, hookless flies look and feel more realistic than traditional flies so they're more appealing to fish. Multiple flies can be fished with a single hook resulting in fewer tangles. The unique barbless circle hook is specifically designed to cause minimal damage or disfigurement to the fish. And, fish can be quickly and easily released without removing them from the water. THE THREE ADVANTAGES OF FISHING THE MOFFITT SYSTEM There are three performance advantages offered by the Moffitt Angling System which makes it superior to fishing with conventional flies. PROTECTION OF THE RESOURCE Extensive research proves fishing the Moffitt System results in less damage, disfigurement and death to trout and other species than when fishing traditional flies tied on J-hooks. This has been the driving goal of the Moffitt Angling System from the very beginning. Extensive testing reveals the Moffitt System increases the rate of jaw hooked
fish by 20% compared to traditional tied flies and provides an order of magnitude reduction in the incidence of serious hook related injury. When you consider a trout may be hooked and released five or more times per season on popular waters, this reduction in
injury rate is huge. And yes you'll catch at least as many fish -maybe more- and perhaps a few that survived to take your fly again period. SIMPLICITY AND CONVENIENCE The Moffitt System is designed to simplify fly fishing, not make it more complex. The flies are easy to attach and remove from your leader with simple loops, and they can be carried on inexpensive threader tools. The single hook reduces snags, tangling and foul hooking of fish, holds securely, and is fast and easy to remove. We got rid of the things that annoyed us- not the
System sporting challenges that define fly fishing. SUCCESS Moffitt System flies are much more realistic in appearance, presentation and feel, providing the occasional edge we all need to fool an old wary fish. The Moffitt circle hooks penetrate quickly and hold securely - they literally roll with the fish. And once the fish comes to hand a simple tool can release the fish without needing to raise its head above the water. The Moffitt Angling System is incredibly simple to rig and to fish. One or more of our patented Moffitt hookless flies are attached to your leader with fast loop to loop connections. The flies are positioned at distances of 6 to over 36 inches above the single barbless circle hook. The separation of the circle hook from the nearest fly is critical to our method's success. We want the fish to only take the hookless fly into the mouth. This allows our System's design to control the process of hook set avoiding the sensitive organs accessed within the mouth cavity and preferentially target the jaw. When a fish takes a Moffitt fly -the angler strikespulling the fly or flies free of the mouth and the circle hook into the jaw. Our fishing method overcomes the single greatest hurdle to circle hook acceptance - it allows the angler to strike when a fish takes the fly. It is a well established fact circle hooks preferentially target a fish's jaw. The Moffitt System actually improves upon this -yielding jaw hook rates 20% higher than traditional flies. There are not too many other places on a fish for a circle
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hook to set. A snell or similar knot is required when rigging to allow our circle hooks to work properly. A properly rigged hook has the tippet. exit from the point side of the hook eye. Failing to rig in this manner will decrease your catch efficiency by 15% or more. A Moffitt fly is tied on a synthetic flexible core terminating in an eye loop made of a high friction material. Any conventional fly pattern can be exactingly duplicated as a hookless Moffitt fly. Our flies are attached to the leader with a simple loop to loop connection and the high friction eye loop holds them in place while casting. Changing a Moffitt fly requires nothing more than undoing the loop connection. A fly threader makes adding Moffitt flies a fast and easy process We recommend keeping the flies on the threaders allowing you to carry your flies on a "pin reel" or lanyard for quick and easy access
PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
count for any slack. This does not imply a "harder" strike is required just the need to sweep the rod in a slightly longer arc. Our barbless circle hooks lock onto the jaw and hold. The point of a circle hook is 90 degrees to the shank - what better barb could you want? A traditional barb doubles a hook's wire diameter reducing penetration and tears a larger hole every time the fish changes direction. We found a barb when used with our System actually reduced catch efficiency by 10%. Short shank, barb free and tuned for our System -Moffitt circle hooks literally roll with every change the fish makes. They can't drop out like J-hooks. When the fight is over the angler simply reaches out and grabs
Moffitt flies stored on our threaders makes changing flies a simple process and because our flies have no hook they can be carried on a lanyard for easy access.
fish survival following release. The first win-win in fishing since the concept of catch and release. To accomplish this resource benefit required a radical rethinking of how a fish is hooked once taking the fly and may conflict with current regulatory “snagging� language used by some States. Ironically, the Moffitt System makes the intentional foul hooking of fish - which is the regulatory intent - far more difficult. Regulatory language cannot peer into the future and as such could not have anticipated the advances of the Moffitt System. States that sought to control the illegal behavior associated with snagging have wrestled for years with language to control snagging - some have focused on the act of randomly and persistently jerking the rod, others stating the fish must first take the fly or bait into its mouth, while others simply say the fish must voluntarily take the hook into its mouth. It is the later definition that is problematic and it is understandable that Regulatory agencies could not have envisioned an advancement which allows a fish to be caught by taking a fly into its mouth without taking a hook.
Moffitt flies can be successfully fished 3 or more feet above the terminal circle hook. We routinely fish large Moffitt attractor dries while searching deeper waters with one or more of our nymphs rigged below. You'll find fishing 3 Moffitt nymphs is as easy and tangle free as fishing a single traditional nymph. Our typical nymph rig attaches the first fly 6 inches above the hook and the next two flies 12-24 inches farther up the leader. Increasing the fly to hook distance, beyond the 5-6 inch minimum, will not decrease your catch efficiency.
the leader with our release tool allowing it to slip down the leader until it sets in the bend of the hook. Separating the hand holding the tool and the line causes the hook to reverse itself out of the jaw as shown in our How To Use The Fish Release Tool video.
The Moffitt System is the next step in the evolution of fly fishing. Like all previous technological leaps in our sport we have made fly fishing more enjoyable for the fly fisherman.
We are now delighted to announce the approval of both Colorado and Indiana.
When a fish takes the fly -hit em! Just remember the more you separate the hook and fly the more you have to ac-
However, unlike previous advances, we share the benefits with the fish allowing for a significant increase in
Source: Moffitt Angling on the internet and Larry Martin
LEGALITY
We are currently working with State and Provincial regulatory agencies to incorporate language into regulations which clearly states the legality of the Moffitt System. This is a time consuming process and in the meantime it is recommended that you check with your local DNR officer if you have any concerns.
PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
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Salmon Lake Fishout
Sept 11 to 13 By Tom Dellamater
This year’s outing was missing some of our most favorite attendees in John Watts and Harry Friesen who have not missed one in many years. We decided to hoist a glass or two in their honor and some of us were glad we brought extra beer as it took more than two. As you all know John and I usually trolled leaches and carries as chironomid fishing was not our style because we were not very good at it. Some years the fish were few and far between but last year we had a very good year. The fishing this year was spotty and all kinds of fishing had trouble with the algae bloom and the gobs of floating algae. There is a rumor that Bruce Turnbull was actually seen trolling as he did not have any fish. Once he caught a fish by trolling there were stories of him doing his, “I did not get skunked dance”, this is the onetime George should have had his camera on. It would have been one of those films one would send to the space shuttle for their enjoyment. It started one night when PennyApril offered me one of her Brown & Haley Almond Roca candies and as I unwrapped it the gold foil wrapper was crinkled and dippled which made me think how well it would reflect light. I decided that a red feather for the tail and cut the gold foil into 1/8th strips which I wrapped
ALMOND ROCA FLY The Almond Roca fly was the hot fly of the weekend for one of our seasoned leach fishing member, me.
around the hook for the body would work well. I had a Pink Carrey with a deer hair under wing and I liked how it opened up the pheasant rump hackle in the water and added it to the fly. I used a long pheasant rump hackle feather and some think mine are too long as they go beyond the tail. I have good luck with long hackles and if I find the fish are biting short I can always break off some hackle to shorten the fly. I tie a slightly larger head as I try to use the head wraps to make sure the hackle is pointing backwards down the fly. I was putting my fly straight down with the type #6 full sink line through the algae and then started to let line out until I was just on top of the bottom weeds. My thought was I might get fewer algae on the hook by dropping it rather than dragging it through the globs of algae. If I was not getting hooked up
once and a while I would let more line out. As I trolled around near the anchored fishermen my system seemed to get me more fish except for one fisherman who was really tuned in as his float was going under all the time. I went out on Sunday with Dave Tiffany to try the fly out and hook into some more fish in a very short time. Dave’s luck was not so good and I would have liked to have stayed longer but at last I had to go home. I find the best fishing is when I am traveling home and I hear the reports the next day, you should have stayed. The food was great and Bruce was able to get the space shuttle to fly over both nights to everyone’s delight as one night it was right on time. The weather was perfect and the fishing was great. I would go again, Tom
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
BTRA CONSERVATION ANNUAL AWARD NOMINEES Phil Rogers and George Graw two of the Penticton Flyfishers’ most dedicated Penticton Creek workers have been nominated for the coveted BTRA Conversationalist Award. They are looking like Penticton Creek Committee Co-Chairmen for the upcoming year. Keep following their progress and more information on the BTRA. (BTRA@live.ca email address). If you would like to nominate a member for this award please email to BTRA@live.ca for a nomination package.
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
ORV Update VANCOUVER — From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Published on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 12:00AM EDT Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 2:30AM EDT For the first time, British Columbia is drafting a set of regulations to rein in irresponsible users of recreational off-road vehicles and ensure that riders are accountable for how they treat the trails they traverse. "With B.C. as one of the only jurisdictions where there is no obligatory licensing and regulations and no real clear guidelines on how to operate an [all-terrain vehicle], we have just had huge environmental damage from uncontrolled and unmonitored off-road vehicle use," said Dave Quinn, spokesman for conservation organization Wildsight. The changes have been in the works for the past few years. In 2006, a stakeholders group called the Coalition for Licensing and Registration of Off-Road Vehicles made 47 recommendations to the province. Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger is now looking at instituting a new regulatory framework for managing off-road vehicle use, the ministry said. The exact components of the regulations, which could include registration and licensing for off-road vehicles, as well as education and safety measures, are still being discussed. British Columbians, however, could see new legislation introduced in the coming weeks. B.C.'s current regulations on off-road vehicles are minimal: Only snowmobiles, golf carts, and ATVs used on farms or for industrial purposes must be registered with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. That leaves owners of dirt bikes, recreational ATVs and dune buggies off the hook. Every other province requires off-road vehicle users to have some combination of safety training, licensing, registration and insurance. Most people follow guidelines and basic common-sense rules, but the province needs to spell regulations out, said Zan Boyle, president of the Quad Riders Association of British Columbia, a member of the stakeholder group. Mr. Boyle said the organization wants to see the province adopt a license and registration system with a one-time fee that would be invested in safety and training. "Certainly nobody wants to pay out more money in licensing or registration fees, but if they can see the end result being a positive aspect of it, that should be okay. Mr. Quinn was emphatic about the need for change, calling the situation "totally out of control all across the province." "Licensing and registration is an important first step for coming up with some designated trails, some signage, and for really protecting this world-class recreational opportunity we have," he said. Cal Kaytor, an ATV owner in Port Coquitlam, said licensing and registration regulations could help keep trails open. "If you see someone being a terrain terrorist tearing up the landscape there's nothing you can do about it. Until we get [licensing] in and some way to actually track people who are destroying the environment, areas are going to continue to be closed."
Do you think we need regulations for these Environ Mental ists ??
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
Where To Find 10 Fly Fishing Tips In A Single Paragraph George La Branche and Emlyn Gill When looking for information on how to fly fish, fly fishing tips or fly fishing techniques, many anglers, or anglers to be, who limit their search to books or material written within the last few years or decades are short -changing themselves. Fact is, many anglers continue to miss out on great fly fishing information by not reaching back into the rich history of the sport and seeking the advice and wisdom of true fly fishing pioneers. Now when I say pioneers, I'm talking about the guys who didn't have anyone to learn from - the groundbreakers. Remember that when dry-fly fishing first made its appearance here in America from England it came without instructions. That's when anglers such as Emlyn Gill, George La Branche, Theodore Gordon and Samuel Camp, just to name a few, came up with their own set of instructions for dry-fly fishing. Yes, they were the true pioneers - and they wrote the first books about the artistry and craftsmanship of what it took to successfully fly fish in these American waters. For some strange reason, the last few generations of anglers have not been exposed to this classic fly fishing information that helped shape American dry-fly fishing. True, there are many fine fly fishing books being published today. But, for some reason, it's the story-telling aspects, only found in the older classics, that can get your blood racing and beckons you to the nearest stream or river. It's these older classics that represent the very heart and soul of fly fishing; its mystery, its allure. You've felt it, haven't you? Fly fishing classics every angler should have as part of their library include a wide array
of books written by fly fishers for fly fishers and span anywhere between the early to mid 1900's. Here is a glimpse of the quality and quantity of fly fishing instructions you can find in any one of these classics. Feel how smooth and flowing they are when being told as a story, as opposed to some stuffy, boring tutorial or manual. Within these two excerpts (taken from George LaBranche's, Dry Fly and Fast Water) there are no less than 20 fishing tips; at least 10 in each paragraph! See if you can you spot them. ********************************** Exercising patience, he may walk slowly and quietly into the water at the tail of the stretch and as closely as possible to the bank the fish are under. Having attained the desired position, he should remain there long enough to allow all commotion made by his entry to cease, during which time no motion of the rod should be made, because the sight of any moving object will send the now alert trout scurrying, while the ripples will make him uneasy for a short time only. The horizontal cast should be used if possible. The fly should be floated down about a foot from the bank, and it should not be retrieved until it has traveled more than half the distance between the angler and the spot where it alighted.... When satisfied that no trout are within the section covered by the fly, the angler should lengthen his line and fish the fly a few feet above-always permitting the fly to travel over the water already fished. He should continue this until the maximum
line that can be handled neatly without moving from the original position is being cast. When the line becomes unwieldy (in this method and position it is courting failure to attempt anything over thirty-five to forty feet, even if one is expert) an advance may be made a few yards up-stream as closely to the bank as the depth of the water and free casting space will permit. As it is quite possible-and likely, too-that a trout has been under the fly all the while, but was not interested in it, the angler's advance will drive him ahead, and indications of this should be sharply looked for. The discovery of the fish will save much valuable time, for in that case the immediate stretch may be abandoned, because any fish above the one seen will have certainly taken alarm at the actions of his ! fellow and will have lost all desire to feed for some time. ********************************** How did you do? And, that's just within 2 paragraphs! Imagine the number of tips you'll find throughout an entire book! Reading the early American fly fishing classics is a must for all anglers who are passionate about learning as much as they can about the world's oldest outdoor sport. Remember, it is from these now classic books that America learned how to fly fish using the dry-fly. Surely, these books haven't lost the capacity to continue to teach more generations the art and craft of fly fishing. Source: Internet.
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
FROM THE ARCHIVES Lee Wulff, 86, an Outdoorsman Who Transformed Sport Fishing By NELSON BRYANT Published: Tuesday, April 30, 1991
Lee Wulff, one of the world's best known and most respected sports fishermen, as well as an author, lecturer, artist and film maker, died Sunday when the light plane he was flying crashed into a wooded hillside near Hancock, N.Y. He was 86 years old. When the plane crashed, Mr. Wulff was engaged in a routine renewal of his pilot's license, flying a 1953 Piper Super Club near the Pennsylvania-New York border. Ricky Charles, chief investigator of the crash for the New York State Police, said that the cause of the crash was not known and that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating it. Mr. Charles said Mr. Wulff died of massive head injuries. The plane's other passenger, Max Francisco of Hancock, manager of the White Birch Airport and a flight instructor, suffered head and facial injuries. He was taken by helicopter to Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City, N.Y., and was reported in critical condition yesterday. Diverse Innovator Mr. Wulff's contributions to American fly
fishing were fundamental and diverse. He probably did more than any other angler to popularize dry fly fishing for salmon, and his Wulff series of hair-wing dry flies were among those of that genre that, according to Paul Schullery in the book "American Fly Fishing," revolutionized salmon fishing on this side of the Atlantic. He was also a champion of the welfare of Atlantic salmon, and Mr. Wulff often reiterated his conviction that it should be declared a game fish, thereby freeing it from commercial exploitation. A master fly caster and fly fisherman, Mr. Wulff convinced a generation of American anglers that small fly rods -- rather than the huge, two-handed affairs favored by the British -- could be used to take Atlantic salmon. He was a restless innovator, and
the short wading vest for fly fishermen that he designed in the early 1930's was the prototype for this now-ubiquitous item of angling equipage. Mr. Wulff was born in Valdez, Alaska, Feb. 10, 1905. "Apparently I started fishing as soon as I could crawl," Mr. Wulff said a few years ago. "There was a little trout creek in back of our house in Alaska and my mother got me going with a bent pin for a hook that was baited with a piece of bacon." Move to Brooklyn After Mr. Wulff's father failed to strike it rich in the Alaska gold rush, the family moved in 1915 to Brooklyn, the base from which Lee began his summer angling explorations of New York State. He went off to Stanford University and stud-
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ied engineering, but showed no enthusiasm for that field as a profession and abandoned it after three months' work. "I decided that I'd be an artist," he said, "something that would allow me to talk with people of all ages and all countries." After attending art classes in various academies in Paris for a year, Mr. Wulff returned to this country, where his endeavors included being an art director for a New York City advertising agency and working for the designer Norman Bel Geddes. But even as he was laboring at what he believed would be his life's work, Mr. Wulff was fishing the trout streams of New Jersey and the Catskills. He once observed that he could fish the Catskills for $3.50 a week, "gas to get there, cheese, bread and milk and a tent to sleep in." It was not long before Mr. Wulff decided to end his career in commercial art and devote himself to freelance art work, writing, film making and lecturing. He went on to establish a fishing camp in Newfoundland and -- flying his own float plane -- to explore the rivers and lakes of Labrador, which is a part of Newfoundland. Set World Records Mr. Wulff pioneered sport fishing for giant bluefin tuna off Newfoundland, and twice, in the waters of that province, set world records for the species. He was an accomplished and avid hunter and was the first known to have taken both a stag caribou and a bull moose with bow and arrow in Newfoundland. Tall and raw-boned, he made no concession to age; in his late 70's, he once caught a 960pound bluefin tuna. In recent years, Mr. Wulff and his wife, Joan, conducted a fly-fishing and fly-casting school hard by the upper Beaverkill River in
PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
Lew Beach, N.Y., where they lived. In addition to producing awardwinning films on fishing and hunting, Mr. Wulff was the author of eight books, including "Leaping Silver." He was also a director of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center. Mr. Wulff is survived by his wife; two sons, Allan Lee Wulff of Reston, Va., and Barry Lee Wulff of Willimantic, Conn.; a sister, Audrey McGowan of San Diego; two stepsons, Douglas Cummings of Lew Beach and Stuart Cummings of San Jose, Calif., and two granddaughters, Sabrina Louise and Tasha Leeann. In his will, according to Joan Wulff, Mr. Wulff made a bequest of an unnanounced sum to the Anglers Club, of which he was a member, so that the organization might "throw a happy party celebrating my long and pleasant stay on earth." A version of this obituary appeared in print on Tuesday, April 30, 1991, on section D page 19 of the New York edition.
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Salmon Lake Fish Out Sept 11, 12 & 13
PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
Penticton Flyfishers Meeting Thurs. Nov 5 at 7:00 pm. Presentation by Tom Dellamater on Bella Coola River Fishing
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
2009 FISHOUTS
Link Lake May 22,23 & 24
Darke Lake May 30
Headwater Lake Early May date to be arranged
Salmon Lake Sept 11 to 14
Kettle River July every weekend
Idelback Lake June 27 & 28
Ripley and Madden Lakes early May- Date to be arranged
Leighton Lake and Tunkwa Lake Aug 8,9 & 10
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
Apache Trout UNIQUE, NATIVE FISH The Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache) is one of only two trout native to Arizona, the other being the Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae). It is officially designated as Arizona's state fish, and was historically found only in the headwaters of the White, Black and Little Colorado Rivers above 5,900-feet elevation in east-central Arizona. Apache trout have an olive-yellow body, with a yellow or golden belly. Moderate-sized black spots are spaced evenly across the body, head and fins. Fins are tipped with a white or orange color. Two black spots are located horizontally on the eye fore and aft of the pupil, creating a black band through the eye. They can grow to over 20 inches in length and weight up to 5 pounds in hatcheries and lakes; however, most wild Apache trout are less than 9 inches in length, a reflection of the small stream habitats where they live. RETURN OF AN ARIZONA NATIVE Once nearing extinction, the Apache trout is now returning to its place in the legacy of Arizona’s unique, native fish resources. Apache trout have been restored to much of their historic range in the White Mountains after decades of cooperative protection and recovery efforts. Because the species has recovered sufficiently, anglers can now fish for them in designated state waters or on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. This native trout is an important part of Arizona’s natural heritage, and is a recreational and economic asset to the state. The Apache trout is found nowhere else in the world. THE THREAT Apache trout were once abundant in White Mountains in the late 1800s. Historic photos and accounts show early settlers harvesting hundreds of Apache trout in a single trip. In the early 1900s, state and federal wildlife agencies began stocking non-native trout species into the streams and lakes of the White Mountains to increase fishing opportunities for Arizona’s fast-growing population. Officials believed they were addressing the problem of over-fishing in Apache trout streams and did not realize these supplemental stockings would become one of the greatest threats to Apache trout, nearly wiping them out. Nonnative trout – rainbow, brook, cutthroat, and brown – out-compete Apache trout for limited food and cover, and prey upon young native trout. Rainbow and cutthroat trout are also genetically similar and cross-breed with Apache trout, compromising the genetic purity of each species. Early methods of livestock grazing, timber harvest and other land uses also impacted the habitat of these once pristine coldwater streams. Land use practices removed the stabilizing, shading effects of sedges, grasses and willows along stream banks, ultimately causing erosion and general habitat degradation. These impacts led to widened streambeds, increased stream temperatures, clogged gravel spawning areas, and reduced mayfly and caddis fly populations, the preferred trout food. Reservoir construction for irrigation and recreation and flood control altered stream flow patterns, creating artificial barriers to natural fish migrations. Apache trout require clear, cold, gravel-bottomed streams and could not withstand these changes. Once plentiful throughout the estimated 820 stream miles in the White Mountains, pure Apache trout declined in numbers and distribution, and were reduced to only 30 miles of stream habitat by the mid-1950s. Source: Internet
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Picture Gallery
PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
= Penticton Creek
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PENTICTON FLYFISHERS
CLASSIFIEDS
CALENDAR of EVENTS
For Sale—15 ft Sage graphite Spey rod, line weight 10, 8 3/4 oz, 4 piece, used only ten times.
Nov 05—General meeting at the usual spot. Get caught up on what has been happening over the past month. Should be some decent stories from members on salmon and steelhead fishing trips. Time 7 pm.
Sharps "SCOTTIE", a 4" Perfect style Salmon reel. Has almost all of original lead finish, Bronze line guard, slightly filed foot $400.00
Nov 12—Fly tying night. Should be an indication at the General meeting on what pattern will be attempted. Time is 7 pm at the CPR Station.
3 1/2" Hardy Perfect, no line guard, long alloy foot, Ivorine handle, with a Hardy drawstring bag. An early model which, unfortunately, has been refinished. 2 small cracks, one on a pillar the other close by on the frame. They should not affect the reel for fishing. $550.00
Nov 19—Executive meeting. Members should hear from the Exec on the Annual General Meeting and nominations for Exec and Director positions for next year.
Hardy Marquis Salmon #1 Saltwater with twin handles, slight paint loss around rim only, Hardy case $400.00
Dec 03—General meeting. Time 7 pm.
Hardy Salmon #1 spare spool (Not a saltwater spool) $100.00 Hardy St. John Some paint loss around rim. $250.00 Hardy Marquis 8/9 spare spool all grey model $65.00
www.bcfff.bc.ca
Hardy "Wathne Collection" #8 Numbered edition #248 & spare spool Basically same reel as a Golden Prince except for finish, Grey frame, Silver spool. Cases for both. Reel and spool are in as new" condition. I do not think they have ever been fished. $330.00 Hardy Perfect 3 7/8" leaded finish straight line writing no line guard. $330.00
www.pentictonflyfishers.ca
Call Ken Cochrane 250-860-9128 or email at kencochrane@shaw.ca
For Sale—John Watt's 12 ft Harbour Craft boat $800 35 lb thrust Motor Guide electric motor. Ph 250-493-0451
www.bcwf.bc.ca
www.troutwaters.ca
Tying and Fishing Techniques
SOFT HACKLE FLIES Hook: Dry fly, standard length, sizes 10 to 16. Thread: Yellow, Red, Olive, or use your imagination size 8/0 or 6/0. Abdomen: Single-strand floss to match thread colour. Thorax: Hare's mask fur (a thorax is optional). Hackle: Brown hen saddle hackle or partridge flank. Soft hackle flies are also very productive in lakes and ponds for most species of trout, char, bass and panfish. These patterns are often fished in the surface film as an emerging insect and deep as a resident terrestrial. This can be a very productive method during mayfly and caddis hatches. Cast the fly with a floating line ahead of cruising trout. Barely twitch the fly as the fish approaches. Soft Hackles can also be
fished deeper around submerged weeds or even along more barren rocky bottoms. When retrieved through still water, the long supple hackles mimic swimming legs. Several species of dragonfly nymphs swim with their legs extended. The Carey Special series flies were first used in Canadian lakes to mimic dragon fly nymphs and emerging sedges. Soft Hackles are some of the world's oldest and simplest fly patterns. Some patterns have remained productive for hundreds of years. In 1496 Dame Juliana Berners published "The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle". It was the first definitive work on sports angling written in the English language. In it were the first twelve fly patterns. They were all soft hackle type
wet flies. Sylvester Nemes in his great book The Soft Hackle Fly Addict brought these simple flies to the attention of modern anglers. Soft Hackles are as popular and productive as when first written about five hundred years ago.
Bruce Turnbull Bruce Turnbull
The Penticton Flyfishers meet the first Thursday of every month except July and August when we meet at nearby fishouts. Club meetings begin at 7 pm at the “OLD CPR� Train Station on Hastings St., and everyone is welcome. Membership costs $40 per year (Junior membership is free) and includes membership in the B.C. Federation of Fly Fishers, the B.C. Wildlife Federation, The Federation of Fly Fishers (International), and the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA). The club is registered as a society and its function is to promote the sport of fly fishing, to educate, and to conserve and protect the environment. The club is actively involved in conservation projects throughout the Okanagan and surrounding areas. If you would like more information about the club, its membership, projects and programs, please call any member of the Executive (see inside front cover).